A Bandwidth Migraine

Telecom companies are dumping it for less and less as they scrounge for nickels to stay alive... Enron spent billions to establish a grasp on it's future… There is an abundance of it waiting for the worldwide demand to catch up… So why won't anyone call me back?

Pick up the phone, and get a T1 Line for your business today. Not just any T1 Line, but get one that meets your needs, is competitively priced, and has a "guaranteed up-time" written in the Service Level Agreement.

Don't know where to start? Join the crowd.

Bandwidth is everywhere, everyone is trying to sell it, and we can't get enough. So why is it still so difficult to acquire the correct Internet connection that a business office needs, at a price that makes sense?

It wasn't so long ago that shopping for a T1 line meant you would call Ma-Bell and AT&T, ring up good ole Sprint or MCI, sign a contract with the one you own stock in, and a few months later you are up and running! Your own personal 1.54mbs bandwidth IV injecting addictive Internet right into your business artery! These days, its not so easy... Sure, installation is as reliable as ever, at 4-6 weeks if they're on schedule (and you complain about waiting on the cable guy for 4 hours?), but what (and who) do you choose in the first place? Choices, choices…

Who are all these Internet providers, and where did they get the fiber to compete with these other carriers I recognize? Now throw high-speed cable and business class DSL into the mix, and we have a party. The most confusing part of the whole dance is trying to understand why one carrier can reach your building with a T1 line and charge you $600 per month to turn it on, while others can charge no less than $2500 per month?

There are too many questions for one reasonable article, but there is only one answer that matters at this point: Because the FCC says so.

The good news, is that IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE. When pain manifests itself in our booming economy, businessmen and women are waiting in the shadows to come to our rescue. The answer to this riddle comes in the form of a few companies like T1 Solutions Inc. www.t1solutions.com, that provide all of your business Internet answers for FREE, and then some.

T1 Solutions is only "free" to the consumer, because the Internet service providers, like AT&T, Sprint, Qwest, Worldcom, Savvis, New Edge, Covad, and on and on... pay them to help us find the connection we need. Why would they do such a thing? Well, can you imagine hiring professional, educated, dedicated sales people to sell your company's products and services, and only having to pay them reasonable commissions? No more big salaries, benefits, offices, legalities... just straight commission when they get the job done.

Companies like T1 Solutions have built very loyal followings by focusing on the pains of us hungry bandwidth consumers. Instead of making literally dozens of phone calls, many of which may never be returned, then trying to negotiate pricing while deciphering multiple service level agreements, all you have to do is fill out a short form. Unless you just like making friends with multiple sales people, you could instead speak with a single trained representative, who gathers all of the pricing for you, explains the differences of each carrier, then facilitates a contract exchange. In addition, they can even expedite the installation for you by leveraging their understanding of each carrier's processes.

Less work, best prices, no headache. Internet, just the way I like it.

There are some things to watch out for, though” says Jay Kallam, VP of Operations at T1 Solutions. Not all bandwidth shopping services are the same.”

Mr. Kallam explains that many web-page gurus are trying to take advantage of the buzz created by the companies that offer real free services”, but all they provide is a free email blast.” The best way to tell the difference is within the website itself. Many sites are compromised of nothing but a form” to fill out, secretly waiting to blast all of your contact information into the hands of waiting sales people at potentially dozens of Internet companies. The result is nothing more than a nest of confusion, while your phone rings off the hook and your email account is abused without shame. He also adds that the email forwarding” websites will never offer additional free services, like faster installations, trouble ticket assistance, and contract management assistance. But whats the easiest way to tell whom youre dealing with?

Look for a phone number” says Mr. Kallam. If its not easy to find, then there is a reason… there is no one waiting to answer your call.”

At least this is one area of the telecom industry that seems to have their act together. Working with an expert, for free I must add, to acquire the most cost effective business Internet connection, is a win-win situation indeed. Next time you need bandwidth prices, try one out… you have absolutely nothing to lose.

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Special Thanks to:

T1 Solutions, Inc.
5540 Centerview Dr. Ste 200
Raleigh NC, 27606

Jay Kallam
VP of Operations
(919) 870-7127